Controversial pardon: Seven individuals granted clemency by Tinubu

By Sandra Simon

President Bola Tinubu has officially pardoned 175 individuals who were convicted of serious crimes.

This has sparked debates from the public, and most people perceive such an act as worrisome due to the serious criminal background such individuals have and the possibility of seeking retribution.

Below are seven of the individuals who are beneficiaries of the president’s clemency.

1. Maryam Sanda

Maryam Sanda, 37, and known for the culpable homicide of her spouse, was sentenced to death in 2020.

She stabbed him multiple times with a kitchen knife during a dispute, inflicting fatal wounds to the neck and the chest area.

Sanda had served six years at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre before receiving clemency.

2. Nweke Francis Chibueze

Nweke Francis Chibueze, who is supposed to be serving a life sentence for attempting to smuggle cocaine in 2013, was granted a presidential pardon by Tinubu.

3. Abiodun Elemero

43-year-old Abiodun Elemero was jailed for life in 2014 for trafficking cocaine on the street. He had spent over 10 years at the Kirikiri prison before President Tinubu’s pardon.

4. Lina Kusum Wilson

Aged 34, Lina Kusum Wilson spent eight years in prison after being sentenced to death in 2017 for unlawful killing in a fatal altercation.

Her pardon from the president has sparked varied reactions from members of the public.

5. Ex-Corporal Michael Bawa

Michael Bawa, 72, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2005 for murder while serving in the military. After spending over 20 years in prison in Kaduna State, his reported good conduct resulted in a plea for clemency.

6. Johnny Ntheru

Johnny Ntheru, who is currently 63 years of age, was serving a life sentence after being convicted for armed robbery in 1989. He also earned a pardon from the president.